Vehicle-wheel.



G. J. ENGBRT. VEHICLE WHEEL. APPLICATION rum) umao, 1912.

Patented Mar. 25, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

G. J. ENGERT. VEHICLE WHEEL. APPLIGATION rum) JAN.30,1912.

Patented Mar. 25, 1913.

syuwwto'a G JTZ'n 06 ref.

wwuzooeo .igcitiz'en f the United States, residing at specification.

jgaltilityofdevices of this character.

spokes 1 age without discarding the remainder of the proved wheel partly in section; Fig. 2 is a .SQIibGd, and then specifically pointed out in the hub; Fig. 9 a sectional detail of one UNITED ATES PATENT OFFICE.

' "GEORGE a. mem SPOK ANiE, WASHINGTON.

VEHICLE- WHEEL.

A 3piicatidi siiiiigig uaiy 30,1912. SerialIQ'o674AQ8.

T0 all'zhhom iii-may concern; known-that I, GEORGE J. 'ENonRr,

Spokane i n-,,f;t h e county of Spokane and Sta.te,;o; Vashing'ton, have invented certain new nd -useful Improvements inVehick-Wheels, of-jwhich the following is a This invent-ion relates to vehicle wheels, mqrelparticularly to the class of resilient wheels; and'has for itsobject to improve the construction a-nd increase the efficiency and Anotherv object of the invention is to'provide' a device of this-character wherein a flexible and y-iehlable the device is employed and associated with a plurality of yieldable IAnother object of the invention is to pro-- vide a deviceof this character whereby the different units constituting the wheel may be renewed in event of impairment or breakwh e With these and other objects mview, the invention consists: in certain novel features of c'onstructionfas hereafter shown and dethe'claim, and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention; Figurelis aside elevation of the im perspective view of one of the tire plates viewed from beneath together with one of its pins and keys, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the spokes detached; Fig. 4: is a section on the line 4:4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail from the outside, of a portion of the flexible tire; Fig. '6 is (a section on the line 6-6 of. Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5 viewed from the inside; Fig. 8 is a sectional detail illustrating the manner of securing the spokes in of the tire plates.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference char-letters.

The improved wheel comprises in general a hub portion, a yieldable rim or tire portion. l vieldable spring spokes connecting the trend. the hub. The hub of the iniioved n; LUiiZPLiQQQ ."or lor body portion it) i .e-ti or otherwise secured to the i axle represented at 11, and with an outer annular portion 12 connected to the body by a web 13. The annular portion 12 is provided with a plurality ofoutwardly opening slots or recesses 14 spaced apart and adapted to receive the inner ends of the spokes, and corresponding therefore in number with the spokes of the wheel. Each of the recesses extends entirely through the annular member 12 and each recess is provided near its inner end with a semi-circular groove or half socket 15. Each -'spoke.16 is formed from a single strip of resilient metal, preferably steel, and curved in: S-shape as shown. At their inner ends each spoke is formed tofit in one of the recesses 14 and is pro vided with a transverse half socket l7 corresponding to the half socket 15, so that when the spokes are inserted into the recesses, the half sockets 15-17 register or form a complete circular cavity to receive a lockingpin 18 and thus lock the spokes to v the hub. Bearing upon opposite faces of the annular member.12, are annular clamp plates 19-20, the plates bearing against the portions of the spokes which are inserted into the recesses and through-which the locking pins pass and secured by nuts or other fastening devices. By this means the spokes are independently secured and any broken or impaired spoke may be removed and replaced by a new spoke without disturbing the other spokes or other parts. The plates 1920 are further secured in position by transverse bolts or like fasteningdevices 21 which pass through the plates and likewise through the portions of the annular; member between the recesses 14. Any required number of the fastening devices may be employed, but preferably one will be inserted between each pair of the recesses, as shown.

The tire portion of the improved device is constructed from a plurality of, plates hingedlv united, and as the plates are precisely alike, the description of one will suffice for all. Each of the tire plates is constructed from a curved body portion 22 having sides 23 extending atright angles thereto and likewise extending beyond the body to form oppositely arranged perforated cars 24: through which tie bolts 25 extend. The sides of the tire plates are spaced slightly nearer each other at one end that at the other so that the ears of the narrow ends of he plates engage between (in Wider ears Specii ica tion'of Letters Patent. Patent d Br tively slight, as shown.

of the next plate, as represented in Figs. 4,

.5 and 6. By this arrangement the tire presents a substantially continuous surface by the outer curved plates 22, the spaces between the terminals of the plates being relaably be' of vthe'split form so that after being driven into their keyways they may be clenched at their split ends to reventtheir displacement under the jars an concussions to which the wheel will be subjected.

When assembling the different parts of the wheel a certain degree of tension will beemployed between each spring spoke and the links comprising the tire so that the spokes coact with the link members and retain the latter in strained-or tight condition. The degree of tension will correspond to the carrying capacity of the vehicle on which the wheelis employed.

It will thus be obvious that a simply constructed trong and durablewheel is produced with a yieldable or flexible tire, and likewise with a yieldable body or intermediate portion produced by the flexible spokes 16 which will readily adapt itself to inequalities oft-he road and absorb the jars and concussions and prevent them from being transmitted .to the body of the vehicle.

The metal ofthe'body portions 22 of the tire plates is Cpressed outwardly at intervals as represente at 29, to produce projections or spurs externally of the plates to prevent the wheel from skiddin or sli in in b turning curves or angles, or when moving over slippery roads The spurs also assist the wheel in climbing hills or grades.

The improved device is simplein construction, can be ine-Xpensivel manufactured of any required size, and of any required strength, as the strength of the wheel may be increased; by simply enlarging the parts or increasing the width of the spokes, and the plates and hub members.

It will be noted'that by this arrangement a very strong, compact and yet yieldable wheel is produced withthe parts firmly and yet yieldingly united, which is maintained in a very tight close condition under all circumstances, and regardless of the indentations which may be made in the outer portion by the strain of the load to which the wheel is subjected. Each of the springs sustains a certain amountof the tension when the .load is applied and. the amount of the tension may be readily ascertained and the wheel increased or decreased in strength to correspond therewith.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new 'is:

In a wheel, a hub, a plurality of resilient spokes connected by their inner ends to said hub and each having eyes spaced apart at their outer ends, a rim formed of a plurality of curved plates having in-wardLy directed sides enlarged int-o ears at the ends, pins extending through the ears-and thereby pivotally unitingthe plates end tov end, each pin being engaged by the eyes of the spokes and provided with a transverse slot located opposite the space between said eyes and a key inserted through each slotand. between the spacedeyes of the spokes.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE J. ENGERT. [L.s.] Witnesses: v NEIL C. BARDSLEY, JNo V. MULLIGAN. 

